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Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Last year I got alot out of Jaye's Creative Prompt Project. Every friday she puts out a word for anyone to use as a creative jumping board to create and sketch. I found it very helpful in practicing sketching and somehow life got in the way and I stopped. I don't make New Year's resolutions but if I did, this would be it - to do more sketching by way of CPP. there is also a flickr group to post responses as well. She has been doing this for a few years.

Go here to check out this past weeks word - as you can see she puts alot of research into it and even if you don't sketch or create something from that word you will learn something you didn't know about that word. She is really good at this:-)

the word this week was spark and the first thing that comes to my mind is Joni Mitchell's masterpiece - Court and Spark. In my opinion one of the best albums of all time. So here is my little sketch, as you can see in the upper corner, I first downloaded a photo of the album cover, printed it out and went by that.

Friday, December 26, 2014

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas and can continue that Christmas joy into the new year and beyond.

Mine was quiet just how I like it with a long walk with a friend and a prime rib dinner after.

(I was in bed sleeping by 8:00) woot! Woot! - the perfect day:-)

So today - Still working my Nepal quilt

This past week I worked on the hillside. It went from this

To this

Then this

And here is where I am now. I added single crochet yarn to the green grass areas and started sewing them down to the top of the green areas, then realized it looked better on the bottom :-/

Not sure if it's worth ripping out to have them all the same or not sure I even can. It's sewn on by machine very securely with backtracking etc. so probablly will leave it. What do you think? Should I channel my inner anal perfectionist tendencies that barely exist or just let the yarns lie where they may?

It's going on the design wall for a few days to ponder over while I work on a quiet moment between friends that a friend requested. Perfect timing since I need to walk away from Nepal and go to the mountains with the dogs.

Have gotten this far and will play more today.

A fun quilt to make ;-)

Happy Sewing Boxing Day!

iF you are on twitter at all there are usually others tweeting quilty stuff and showing what they are doing on Boxing Day so check out

Monday, December 22, 2014

I recently adopted this sweety pie and her name is ZuZu. I'm not all that fond of the name, don't hate it, just don't love it ................. until I realized the connection to my favorite Christmas movie

Saturday, December 13, 2014

I just read Glen's quilts and dogs blog and she says I am following her in a series of art blogs and she tagged me. I think I'm supposed to answer some questions - so here goes

What are you working on now?

Yesterday I started a fairly large landscape. My friend and colleague where I work is a young man from Bhutan / Nepal. He and his family came here as refugees and they just recently purchased a house so I wanted to make him an art quilt of mountains that looked like Nepal. I googled a photo and so far have the mountains. The snow covered ones in the back started out as a darkish sky blue and I stipples white paint on them to look like far away snow covered peaks. I have to do the left side which will be terraced hillside like they do in Nepal. The people there have to farm that way since there is no flat land.

This is the line drawing that I'm working from. I take this, then reverse it and trace all the pieces onto freezer paper, iron to the back of batik fabrics, turn under the edges, iron and then put it back together like a puzzle. It is then appliqued down by machine with invisible thread. Later after all elements are added I will layer batting and a backing and quilt it with decorative thread adding more details and texture with the quilting. I may add embellishments later. All those decisions are made as I go.

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

I believe we are all unique so our art is also unique to each individual. I make art first and foremost for my enjoyment and to my liking. If I don't like making something ......... Well it's not worth doing.

Why do I create what I do?

I love a challenge. When I see a photo or am in a situation that I find beautiful I want to see if I can interpret that image into fabric. I've heard people say, well why don't you just take photo? Ahhh, the photo is only the beginning! The challenge is to take that photo and use beautiful batiks and add wonderful texture and design. I want you to see my quilt from across the room and want to go over and touch it and take a closer look.

God, I do so love what I do and I just hope others can find their own passion for creating whatever they find that works for them.

I hope you have found yours ;-)

This afternoon I finished this little Christmas postcard - I want to wish you all much Joy and hope you can play like a dog in the coming New Year ;-)

Friday, December 12, 2014

If you read my last post you will know that Santa Glen from Quilts and Dogs blog sent me this and I had no idea what to do with it. She said it is for piecing - whaaaat???

I finally persuaded her that I have been good this year and that I really am going to use (eventually) all that fabric that I bought last year. So she explained that it is a tailors clapper. Or the redneck version anyway. You can pay $30 to $50 for the ones sold by sewing/ tailor companies or go to the hardware store (lowes) and look for a concrete float. It works perfectly!

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

My friend Glen in Louisianna said she was sending me something for piecing. Oh! Goody! Always happy to get a new gadget. Glen is such a generous soul. She said she got a deal at Home Depot - interesting :-) something to cut with? A measuring tool perhaps?

Today the poor mailman had to trudge thru this to deliver

This ........... Uh ....... Hmmmmmm ......... Well .......

What in the world do I do with this?

It says it's for concrete floors. Does she think my floors need to be redone before I start piecing ? Do I iron with it? do I iron on it? Do I use it as a ruler for rotary cutting?

Friday, November 21, 2014

Working on a landscape of one of my favorite spots - Ausable Point on Lake Champlain.

Like the colors together but the far water doesn't look like water that much but going with it.

Starting to quilt and added some light coming thru the clouds shining on the water, trying to connect the lighter parts of the lower water with the sky somehow but not satisfied yet.

Tried a shadow under the boat but doesn't look right. If the light is coming from the direction I have it, I suppose it should be all light under the boat but ........

Made the boat shadow darker but do not like that

So this where I'm at now, lightened up the boat shadow by adding some watered down opaque white fabric paint. Added more pearl light from the sky. I ran out of the pearl though so stopped am giving it a rest.

Friday, November 14, 2014

I met Beckam at the Alpalca show last month and was was quite taken with him. What a charmer!

Bald Beckam

After enlarging his photo, and tracing his body parts - they traced onto freezer paper and I pressed under all his pieces. I did eyes and nostrils with fusible (I'm not crazy) using all fusible would work but I don't like doing heavy quilting or thread painting over all that glue so taking the time to turn under is worth it.

Yes, lots of thread

I wanted some hay in his mouth because ....... Well that is what Alpalcas do.

Took some hayish looking yarn and wrapped around floral taped wire, cut a hole on his mouth and sewed it down. The hay came out a bit wierd but then so is Beckam

Friday, November 7, 2014

I'm almost done with my alpaca and not ready to show you yet but just wanted to share an issue I had with his head.

Here is the original photo - isn't he cute?

His hair on top is puffy so I made it like a helmet with fabric and then thread painted over it. I only had a thick 40w thread so don't really want to go to thick or the thread breaks and misbehaves. He looked like he is loosing his hair :-/

So I just filled in along the top - thread was fine, no breakage or weirdness :-)

I like it so much better now.

I also finished another stones / quiet your mind quilt. I am in the process of making a downloadable pattern for this but can't decide on a name. I will be including both "quiet your mind" and "soothe your soul" for wording. Some people call these rock sculptures, some cairnes, some just a pile of rocks.

Any suggestions?

Anyone want to test the pattern when it's done?

If you do, send me your email address and I'll send you the pattern when it's done. All I ask in return is constructive critism with suggestions. Beginners welcome as I think this one is actually quite easy and would like to market to beginners IF it is indeed appropriate for a beginner.